Painting the Clear Green Waters of Polperro Harbour

The light in Cornwall always feels a bit different than anywhere else. When I looked at the harbour in Polperro, the first thing that caught my eye was how the sunlight hit the water. It was not just blue, but a deep, glowing green. To get that look, I used a mix of Viridian Green and Cobalt Blue. I wanted the water to look transparent so you can almost see the rocks hiding underneath the surface. It is a wonderful challenge to try and capture that feeling of a bright day by the sea.

Many of you often ask me how to make white buildings look interesting without them looking like flat paper. In this painting, I used very light washes of Lavender and Cobalt Blue for the shadows on the cottages. If you look at the white walls, they are mostly the white of the paper, but those cool shadows give them shape. The bright orange roofs were done with a bit of Cadmium Red and Yellow Ochre to make them pop against the green hills behind.

The little boat moving out of the harbour adds a bit of life to the scene. I painted the wake of the boat by leaving thin lines of white paper. This creates a sense of movement and direction. The dark cliffs on the left were painted with Neutral Tint and Ultramarine Blue to give them a heavy, solid feel. This dark area helps the bright, sunlit parts of the village stand out even more.

I find that keeping the brushwork loose is the best way to show the spirit of a place like this. You do not need to paint every single window or stone to tell the story of a fishing village. Instead, I focus on the big shapes and the way the light falls. This painting is currently for sale, so if you would like to own this piece of Cornwall, please do contact me for more information.